Follow PR Daily on:

8 questions to ask before any media interview

Media training usually focuses on the questions a reporter will ask you during an interview. But before the interview occurs—during your initial telephone call or email exchange—you also have an opportunity to interview the interviewer.

Many journalists are willing to share the basics about the stories they’re working on, and any insight they offer will help you better prepare.

Below are eight questions you might consider asking reporters. I typically don’t ask all of these for every interview; journalists don’t appreciate being grilled. They’ll probably offer some of this information on their own anyway, so just fill in any gaps by asking the most relevant of these questions:

1. Who are you? No, you shouldn’t ask that question verbatim, but collect the basics—their name, the name of the news organization for which they work, and whether they cover a particular topic.

2. Can you tell me about the story you’re working on? Keep this question open-ended and remain quiet while the reporter speaks (the more they say, the more you’ll learn). Feel free to ask follow-up questions and to clarify any points you don’t fully understand.

3. Are you approaching this story from any particular perspective? Some reporters will bristle if you ask, “What’s your angle?” This question aims to elicit the same information in a more subtle manner.
4. Who else are you interviewing? Reporters often play it close to the vest on this one, but it’s worth asking. You’ll be able to get a sense of the story’s tone by learning whether the other sources in the story are friendly or antagonistic toward your cause.

5. What’s the format? For print interviews, this question will help you determine whether reporters just need a quick quote from you or whether they’re writing an in-depth piece that will focus extensively on your work. For broadcast interviews, you’ll be able to learn whether the interview will be live, live-to-tape, or edited. For television, you might also ask if the format will be a remote, on-set, or sound-bites interview.

6. What do you need from me? Ask the reporter how much time the interview will last and where the reporter wants to conduct the interview. Also, ask if you can provide any press releases, graphics, photos, videos, or other supplementary documents. You can often expand your presence in a news story—and influence the narrative—if the reporter chooses to use your supporting materials.
7. Who will be doing the interview? For many radio and television interviews, you will be contacted initially by an off-air producer rather than by an on-air personality. Ask for the name of the person conducting the interview.

8. When are you publishing or airing the story? Review the story as soon as it comes out. If it’s a positive story, share it with your online and offline networks. If it’s a negative story, consider issuing a response or contacting the reporter or editor to discuss the coverage.

One final note: Before an interview, tell reporters how you prefer to be identified. Include your title and company name, and spell your full name. You don’t want to see your name or your company’s name mangled in front of millions of viewers.